EU agriculture policy in numbers (infographics)
Discover facts and figures about the beneficiaries of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.
Agriculture is an important industry for all EU countries and they all receive EU funds through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These funds support farmers directly through the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and rural areas, climate action and the management of natural resources through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
The European institutions are working to establish the budget and the rules of the EU’s agricultural policy after 2028.
EU agricultural expenditure by country
In 2023, €38.16 billion was spent on direct payments to farmers and €12.95 billion on rural development. A further €2.67 billion supported the market for agricultural products.
France received the biggest share of the EU’s agricultural funding in 2021 (17.1%), followed by Spain (12.5%), Germany (11.2%), Italy (10.5%) and Poland (8.8%).
What amount of the EU budget goes to farmers?
The Common Agricultural Policy will provide €387 billion in funding for the 2021-27 period. The money for farming represented a quarter of the total EU spending in 2023. Out of this money, two thirds (67%) was used for direct income support to farmers, 28% went into developing rural areas and the remaining 5% was used for interventions on the market of agricultural products.
The rules governing how Common Agricultural Policy money is spent are linked to the EU’s long-term budget. The current rules apply until December 2027, after which they will need to be adjusted for the new budget term starting in 2028.
The European Parliament adopted its position on the future of the EU's agricultural policy in September 2025. MEPs oppose the European Commission's proposal to integrate agricultural funding with other policy areas and want instead an increased stand-alone farming budget. They want direct income support to be guaranteed to all active, professional farmers and the administrative burden to be reduced.
How many people benefit from the European Union farming budget
The EU's farming funds support almost seven million beneficiaries in the European Union.
Income support for farmers
In 2022, more than 5.9 million farmers benefitted from direct income support from the Common Agricultural Policy.
Income support ensures a stable income for farmers and rewards them for taking care of the countryside and the environment. The amount of support is generally dependent on the size of the farm in hectares.
On top of the basic payment, the EU offers payments to foster sustainable farming practices that benefit climate action, environmental protection and animal welfare. These so called eco-schemes are voluntary for farmers.
Rural development
In 2022, there were around 3.5 million beneficiaries of EU projects related to rural development. These projects contribute to ensuring the competitiveness of farming and forestry, support the sustainable management of natural resources and climate action and help develop rural economies and communities.
Support for the agricultural market
In 2022, there were around 110 000 beneficiaries of market measures. Market measures aim to stabilise agricultural markets, prevent market crises from escalating, boost demand and help EU farming sectors to better adapt to market changes.
Agricultural production in Europe in numbers
The value of European farming production reached €532 billion in 2024. EU farms produce a rich variety of food products, from cereals to milk. Crops (including vegetables, horticultural plants, cereals and fruit among others) represent half of EU farms' output, while animal products (mainly milk, meat and eggs) account for about 40%.
The EU has legislated to ensure that the food produced and sold in the EU is safe to eat. The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy, announced in 2020, aims to ensure that food is also produced more sustainably. MEPs have called for a decrease in pesticide use to better protect pollinators and biodiversity, an end to the use of cages in animal farming and an increase in land use for organic farming by 2030.
Common Agricultural Policy
